Spain court orders Meta to compensate media for ‘unfair competition’

AFP | Madrid

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A court in Spain said yesterday it has ordered Facebook owner Meta to pay local media outlets 479 million euros ($552 million) in compensation for “unfair competition” plus 60 million euros in interest.

EU rules oblige companies to obtain users’ consent to create personalised advertising from their data.

Spain’s main media association AMI filed a lawsuit in 2023 against the US tech giant, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, accusing it of creating “unfair competition” by “systematically” breaking the law between May 2018 and July 2023.

A Madrid commercial court which heard the case last month ruled in favour of AMI, saying Meta had gained a “significant competitive advantage” in its digital adverstising sales by violating the data protection rules.

AMI had been seeking 551 million euros in compensation.

“This isn’t a case that affects only AMI’s outlets, it has implications for media worldwide,” AMI director general Irene Lanzaco told reporters on the opening day of the trial.

“What’s at stake is the very survival of news media, which is being threatened by the predatory behaviour of a platform like Meta, acting with no regard for our legal framework.”